Western nations decry disappearances in Kenya

A group of European governments on Thursday voiced concern over reports of arbitrary detentions and enforced disappearances in Kenya as it prepares to join the UN Human Rights Council.

The East African nation, usually one of the most stable in the region, has seen recent turmoil after an unpopular finance bill sparked deadly protests against President William Ruto’s government in June.

Police were accused of using disproportionate force against protesters, leading to the deaths of more than 60 people.

Dozens more went missing or were arrested without due process in the weeks that followed, rights groups say, often brazenly snatched off the streets or in their homes.

The embassies of nine Western countries — Britain, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland — raised concerns in a joint statement.

“We note our concern over ongoing reports of arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances,” they said.

“It is crucial to ensure the rule of law prevails,” they added, calling for “swift and transparent investigations”.

The group congratulated Kenya on its election earlier this month to the UN Human Rights Council. It will start a three-year term on the council in January.

Kenyan police have often been accused of running hit squads targeting activists, lawyers and other critics of the government.

In October 2022, Ruto dissolved a police unit accused of disappearances and extrajudicial killings and vowed to overhaul the security sector.

But a spate of arrests and disappearances since this year’s protests have raised fears of renewed abuses.

Missing Voices, a campaign group focused on extrajudicial killings in Kenya, says there have been at least 1,350 deaths at the hands of police and 350 enforced disappearances since it began collecting data in 2017.